Shoot in Different Shades of Red and Orange

Redscale is a shooting technique where the film is exposed from the wrong side, resulting in a strong red color cast as the the film’s red-sensitive layer was exposed first. I would like to share some tips on shooting Redscale films with different cameras to achieve different effects.

Some lomographers would DIY their own Redscale films but I prefer to buy ready to shoot Lomography Redscale films. So far, I had used Redscale films on several different Lomo cameras and would like to share some tips on how to get the best out of each combination.

Sprocket Rocket:
Sprocket Rocket is a light hungry camera. I didn’t know that when I first bought the Rocket and happily loaded a roll of Redscale film. Needless to say, most of the shots came out underexposed. Hence, for this combi, only shoot in strong sunlight outdoors. Under indoor or cloudy conditions, always use a flash or bulb mode.

LC-A+RL:
Obviously, one can’t go really wrong when shooting any film with LCA+RL. This is no exception. As I prefer not to get strong red hues, I would normally set the light meter to ASA100 when shooting Redscale films. The amazing thing about Redscale film is that I can get different shades of Reds and Orange in the same roll of film! One advantage of the LC-A+ is that if you prefer more reds, you can set the light meter to ASA200. If you prefer light shades, you can either do MX or trick the camera into slower shutter speed by using your fingers to block the light meter briefly.

Supersampler:
One surprise that I got was when I loaded a roll of Redscale into my Supersampler. As this is also a sunny day cam, I was fearful of the same disaster as the Sprocket. Fortunately, Supersampler has an adjustable speed and I switched it to the slower setting. It turns out that most photos are okay, again with different shades of reds and orange!

Actionsampler Flash:
With the success in using it in my Supersampler, I next tried it in my Actionsampler flash. It was met with half success. It seems that the flash isn’t strong enough for certain indoor conditions and some photos turned out underexposed. But I am still happy with the results as I get the light sepia shades that I prefer.

Spinner 360:
Last but not least, Redscale films are also suitable for use in Spinner 360 under strong lighting conditions.

I hope my tips can help you get the effects you prefer from the Redscale films. When things don’t turn out the way you hope (like my Sprocket Rocket experiment), don’t be disheartened and Lomo on!

Load up the Lomography Redscale 100 35mm film and achieve the warm-tinged effect produced only by exposing the negative on the reverse side! You’ll get breathtaking square shots evoking intensely warm, honey hues. See our selection of Lomography films here.

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